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Italy cuts Giuseppe Rossi

GiuseppeRossi (ISIphotos.com)

New Jersey-born striker Giuseppe Rossi passed on the chance to play for the U.S. national team more than two years ago, and the 2010 World Cup looked like it would be his chance to show the world why he made the decision to play for Italy.

Rossi will have to wait a while longer.

The Villarreal striker was cut from the Italian national team, falling short in the quest to appear in his first World Cup. Fabio Quagliarella beat out Rossi and Marco Borriello for the final forward spot on Marcelo Lippi's roster.

Rossi is still young and, at 23, he should still figure into the Italian national team picture, but the fact remains he won't be playing in this summer's World Cup (unless he is brought in as an injury replacement before the tournament begins). That will bring some satisfaction to U.S. fans who have never forgiven his decision to play for Italy (or his goal-scoring celebration against the United States during last summer's Confederations Cup).

The harsh reality is that if Rossi had chosen to play for the United States he would be a certain starter. Now, he will start his vacation early (though he'll likely gain some comfort from the fact that many of Europe's top teams are looking to acquire him this summer).

What do you think of this news? Surprised? Feeling a little Schaudenfraude? Think the ESPN Magazine cover doomed Rossi?

Share your thoughts below.

Comments

  1. Well i rememver playing soccer with him when i was younger. He was younger than me and we played in front of school 3 and at the soccer league. He was fast and had great ball technic even at that age. I wondered where he went and i later found out when they played us. I dont hate hime or hold any anger towards him. He wanted to be soccer player and his parents gave him that oppurtunity to home his skils. What better place to learn the sport of soccer. If my kids ever excell at a sport if i can i will take them where they will be able to train and excell at the sport. I would of loved for him to play for the US because we could use him but he made up his mind when he was 13 years old. As a parent i would have maybe pushed him a little bit to play with the US but it would be up to him. I am Bolivian and if i was as good as him in soccer i would play with Bolivai because they are a soccer tean that needs help and they are not rich or have the funding like other countries. I wish him the best and even though he did not make the world cup this time good luck.

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  2. If by “you people” you are referring to me, I actually totally understand the decision to play for Italy. I an American but born and raised in Sweden. I totally understand having DUAL commitments and, especially when it comes to soccer, I think it’s ridiculous to call this unpatriotic or treasonous or whatever. Life is complicated. What I was questioning was two things: 1) the assumption that there is a right an answer and that he had either had to play for US or Italy or be doing something wrong and 2) in particular, the position you seemed to be taking in you first post, which was that the father will/should have control over what the son does.

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  3. he said he feels “American off the field, but Italian on the field.” He has a chance to feel very American this summer.

    thank you thank you, i’ll be here all week.

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  4. that my friend is where i think you are wrong. point is, people will form to where they are born and raised. thinking that your birth will define the culture of your children is making an assumption. meaning, could it happen, sure . . . but it is not a sure thing. reminds me of my in laws that swear my kids are just as mexican as they are american. i laugh and tell them . . . “the only reason mexicans want to call them mexicans is you guys are hoping they are foolish enough to be loyal to your country and send their money there. they are as american as me, and as mexican as i would be irish . . . because that is where my ancestors came from (200+ years ago). meaning, they aren’t mexican.”

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  5. you couldn’t be more wrong in what you are saying . . . as a persons opinion (as to what i was addressing, my opinion and my kids) can be spoken in certainties. i am glad you enjoyed your upbringing, and have the utmost respect for individuals that dedicate their life to protecting our freedom. me personally, i would not want my kids raised abroad.

    what others do is their business, but i for one would never allow my kids to be raised anywhere but the good ol’ USofA. quite honestly, aside from the beer and soccer . . there is nothing in europe that even interests me. i find enough culture in the americas and would like my kids to understand where they are from before they seek to mimic other cultures that are not theirs.

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  6. reason being, i am an american, and i want my kids to be the same. other places are fine to travel, but i would never want my kids to think they are anything but an american.

    there is a reason people are willing to fight and die for this country, just as there is a reason people risk life and limb to get here . . . this is the home of freedom and equality.

    to each’s own, but my kids will never be put in a position where they will in any way question where their loyality lies.

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  7. I don’t think I’m just speaking for myself in saying that I wouldn’t. Yeah, he’s a good player but we have player’s who have the potential to shine as well and I’m going to be immensely proud of them when they step onto the field.

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  8. It matters not how long he’s been on the pitch or how incredible the strike was. A lot of US soccer fans who were disappointed at his decision of turning us down (me included) we outraged at his response on the field, and that is where most of the resentment comes from I think. It is classless. In soccer there is an unwritten rule that you don’t celebrate against former teams or other complex nationality situations like this. Podolski scored against Poland to send them out of the WC, however he had the decency to realize the gravity of the situation and refused to celebrate. That is respect. That is having class. Rossi knew what he should have done, but chose to give insult to injury.

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  9. ESPN did actually, it was a big thing bc he stayed true to the country that gave him and his family everything.

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  10. I wouldn’t be so fast to put Michael Hoyos in that category if i were you. Not yet at least haha, cheers.

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  11. He’s no kid, he’s a professional athlete and as such responsibility and respect are demanded of him. All the classy players understand this, and thus would never celebrate a goal like that, not to mention his comments after the game about dedicating his goals. But why am I talking about a guido and class in the same sentence?

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  12. Word man, it definitely hurt the first time I saw it too, but look at it this way: the cover shot may have been instrumental in making sure Italy didn’t take Rossi to the WC. Italy would never suffer the “insult” at having a Yank lead their lines. I’m sure being labelled America’s best hope didn’t exactly please too many Italians. Just something to think about.

    In other news, go f#ck yourself rossi

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  13. no, he wouldn’t have represented us. No one would say he’s a Yank if he did well, just the European bias. Besides, he chose to NOT represent us, so imo he can go do one.

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  14. I would argue that Italy gave him an opportunity that we couldn’t, which is to be part of a national team with one of the richest histories in the world.

    Also, if you read the ESPN article, he went over to Italy to play football and Bradley says something to the effect of ‘he no longer had to convince kids to play his sport, he was surrounded by kids who were obsessed with it’ or something like that. So you can totally see why he owes his soccer heritage to Italy.

    Still sucks for him. But, I guess we have our own 23 yr old forward that didn’t make it this time, so it’ll be nice to see the directions the 2 go in leading up to the next WC cycle.

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  15. False. Bigotry – intolerance toward those who hold different opinions from oneself. I don’t have intolerance to morons, just really glad they are all in an area of the country that I can easily avoid.

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  16. as a United supporter and US fan, I was disappointed in his decision to play for the I-ties… he is a great talent and the US could really use him. He could of been the face of US soccer and he threw it all away. He says that NJ will always be his home, and that comment is bullsh*t because he would be playing for the US if that was true. I guess growing up as a Guido in Jersey fist pumping all day gave him a hard on for Italy. I am just happy that he didnt make the squad and hopefully he doesnt ever get a start for Italy in the WC

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